Cessna 320A accident near Novato, California, August 9, 1992
On August 9, 1992 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 320A, registered N3014R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Novato, California (Novato airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOCKED LEFT BRAKE ASSEMBLY DUE TO THE MISSING BRAKE RETAINING CLIPS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1992 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Novato, California · Novato
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320A · all 320As on the register
- Registration
- N3014R · registry record · serial 320A0014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CONCLUDING A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE AIRPLANE SWERVED TO THE LEFT ON TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT APPLIED OPPOSITE RUDDER AND POWER BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT AND COLLIDED WITH A GULLY. LEFT TIRE SKID MARKS BEGAN AT THE TOUCHDOWN POINT. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT BRAKE ASSEMBLY DISCLOSED THAT THE BRAKE DISK PARTIALLY CAME OUT OF ITS ATTACH POINT AND JAMMED AGAINST THE HOUSING EFFECTING A LOCKED BRAKE. THE EXAMINATION ALSO REVEALED THAT ALL BUT ONE OF THE BRAKE CLIPS WERE MISSING.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,196 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 1,155 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-470-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,300 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Other NTSB records under N3014R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX92LA344.